


Humanity's Folly

by Werebearmare



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alpha Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff and Smut, Knotting, M/M, Mates, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Eren Yeager
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-12-17 09:03:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11848347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Werebearmare/pseuds/Werebearmare
Summary: Spoiler's ahead! Takes place after Uprising Arc!Dynamics and secondary sexes aren't an issue to the people within the walls.  With the Survey Corps impeding expedition to retake Wall Maria, the majority beta in humanity are focused solely on their new queen and their titan savior leading them to hope.  When it comes to the attention of  Squad Levi that their titan shifter is the only male omega existing inside the walls, they fear the people's view on dynamics would change should they discover Eren's secondary sex, and it is their duty to keep his dynamic a secret in order to maintain the people's support for the Survey Corps, and to prevent an uproar should they discover that their only weapon is nothing more than a pathetic, weak omega.





	Humanity's Folly

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you will enjoy the story as it unfolds. I don't plan on stretching this story out too far. My Lovely Omega is still currently in the works, and as much as I want to focus and continue that story, I am hoping to pull myself out of some writer's block with this piece until I can get back in the groove of things. I appreciate and love all of the encouragement and support my followers have sent me and I hope to update My Lovely Omega soon alongside this one. 
> 
> Thank you all for your patience and love! 
> 
> Enjoy!

“You're kidding…” 

Eren looked down at his hands, trembling as they were, and watched as long, slender fingers reached out and interlocked with his own. 

“Nope!” Came Hange's exuberant reply. Behind thick frames, her eyes twinkled as she skimmed her notes, the devilish grin on her face only growing as she continued going over her findings to Levi and his squad.

“Eren is pure, one hundred percent, genuine omega. The first male omega to be recorded since before the walls were built. Not only is this extraordinary, it's a downright miracle!”

Eren turned to Mikasa as he felt her warm hands wrap around his. In that moment she was the only anchor keeping him in place. Had he heard Hange right? Was he really an omega?

Mikasa stared hard at Eren, her fingers tightening around his as she studied his face. The shock was evident to everyone in that moment, including herself as Hange continued to gabble on, but more so than that, the dread she saw in Eren's oceanic gaze spoke volumes, and her own alpha responded protectively in turn; a floral scent of pomegranates and musk permeating around them to help keep Eren calm.

Armin, who sat on the opposite side of Eren, placed a hand on Eren’s shoulder and leaned in close, hoping to offer some sort of comfort knowing full well how devastating this news must mean to his friend. Eren had already confided in him numerous times how weak and helpless he believed himself to be over all of the death and destruction he felt responsible for his role in the Survey Corps. Armin could only imagine the sort of turmoil this change of events would cause Eren now. 

“There's no way Eren is an omega!” Shouted Connie in disbelief, running a hand over his smooth head as he mulled over the news. “We would have noticed somehow. Omegas give off strange pheromones right? We all have lived together in the same barracks for years, and Eren never smelled fishy to me. Are you sure he's omega?”

“Yeah, aren’t omegas supposed to smell really sweet? Like tasty delicacies or something?” Sasha interjected, her doubt obvious as she made her point. “No offense, Eren, but you've only ever smelled like dirt and sweat to me.”

“Yeah, if Eren smelled like an omega, Sasha would probably try eating him thinking he was food.” Connie laughed lightheartedly, earning him an unimpressed glare from Sasha as she stuck her tongue out in rebuttal.

Jean pulled himself from his spot against the wall, dejectedly flopping himself beside Connie and Sasha on the bench where they sat and kept his gaze downward, sighing heavily to himself as he prepared to speak. “Reiner and Bertolt didn’t smell fishy to us either, did they? Yet they turned out to be the enemy of humanity and tried kidnapping Eren while throwing titans at us in order to get away. Is Eren turning out to be an omega really so surprising to you guys?” Jean's eyes remained downcast as he spoke, a somber look on his face, and Connie and Sasha’s excitement dwindled to one of understanding as they too began weighing the heaviness of Hange’s news. 

“Unfortunately, as far as I’m aware there are no known studies or documentations out there regarding male omegas that could help us figure out why Eren is what he is, or how he genetically came about that way. However, we do know he is a titan, and we do know he has certain abilities that could have possibly altered his secondary sex or vice versa. Either way, we won't know much more unless we continue our research. A titan omega seems absolutely fascinating to me, and Eren could really help us gain better understandings of omegas as well as that of titans with a secondary sex like Reiner, Bertolt and Annie. Wasn’t Reiner an alpha? Ooh, I wonder if its true for male omegas to become pregnant…” Hange's excitement made something churn in Eren's stomach, almost as if a blade had been thrust into his abdomen and twisted with each word that came from the precarious beta's mouth. 

A low thrumming growl tore through the room and the group instantly quieted as an icy chill filled the air. Most would have assumed the threat to have come from Mikasa, protective as she was for Eren, though it wasn’t as if she wasn’t already on the precipice of eliciting her own alpha pull to dominate and take control of the situation. No, this threat had come from the only other alpha in the room, leaning against the wall with his arms folded tightly over his chest, and a bitter, angry glare reflecting in his silver irises. 

“That's enough, Hange.” 

Captain Levi’s voice was low and especially deadly as he addressed Hange directly. The beta turned to him quizzically as if Levi's alpha pull hadn’t affected her, but the quiver she felt in her bones said otherwise and she struggled to keep herself steady.

Everyone had turned to their captain then, or at least tried to, none daring to make eye contact besides Hange, but that was to be expected. Even Mikasa kept her eyes downward, listening to her fellow alpha as he strode over to where Hange stood, his steps nearly silent but deliberate as he crossed the floor. 

“No more talk about Eren's status. Not from any of you. This is to remain between us and only us until we receive further orders from Erwin. Historia has been informed of the situation and will try her best to keep the military police out of our business, but if this news leaks, who knows what the people will want to do with him. We have only recently received the majorities support for Eren and the Survey Corps. If they find out he's some shitty omega, any backup we received could be thrown out the window.”

It was Mikasa’s turn to growl this time, her superior's distasteful choice in words causing her blood to boil. “How can you say that? Eren has done nothing but fight and follow orders. His status as an omega shouldn't matter.” 

Levi aimed his cold glare back to Mikasa, their alpha pulls colliding with the other as Levi met her stare head on. “Tch. I know how hard Eren is fighting. That has nothing to do with it. He's an omega, which if you hadn't noticed, are treated as garbage and are mostly used as whores in the underground. So forgive me, but I don’t exactly see the people being excited to find out that their ‘hope' is a weak titan who can go into heat.”

Mikasa felt her resolve snap at her captain's words. Bearing her teeth, she began moving forward to charge, only to stop short as she felt strong arms grab her by the waist to hold her back. Glaring, she turned only to find Armin holding her in place. 

“He's right, Mikasa.” Armin interceded, his soft blue gaze filled with one of calculating sincerity as he spoke. “The view people have on omegas isn’t a positive one. You remember what it was like after Maria fell. They took any omega around who couldn’t work the fields outside the walls or in the underground to fend for themselves. This information could cause an uproar, or even another mutiny. If they discovered a titan could bare children, who knows how they could react.” 

Mikasa felt her blood run cold at the seriousness in Armin’s words, and going by the deathly quietness in the room, she wasn’t the only one realizing the severity of the situation. 

Turning to Eren now, she could see the distraught look on his face as the groups words sank in. As much as she wanted to reach out and console her friend, the look Armin gave her told her to do otherwise. 

“Mushroom head is right, and if you want to protect Eren, you'll do best to listen to him. All of you. Especially you shitty-glasses. I know you get a hard on for titans, but if you fool around with Eren too much, you could cause him more harm than good. His body is already stretched thin as it is experimenting with his hardening ability. Any more unnecessary experimentation could fuck things up."

“Aw, but Levi…” Hange began to whine, only for Levi to bare his canines to her. “I said enough, Hange. Erwin told us specifically not to push this issue. Until Eren’s body presents his dynamic fully, we keep quiet about this and continue on as normal. Erwin is already scheming what we'll do when Eren's heat begins and will brief us once his plans are set in motion. Eren,” Levi paused, his eyes softening momentarily as he laid sight on the boy, only to harden once again as he continued. “You report to me the second you feel something is off. We can't afford to toy around and have you out and about when people can smell a heat on you.”

For the duration of the meeting, Eren kept his gaze heavily towards the ground. He remained unfocused, only half listening as he battled internally with how much of a worthless piece of shit he was and how once again his captain and the squad would have to risk themselves to protect him.

They were supposed to prepare to leave for Wall Maria soon and reclaim the territory. In order to make that happen, Eren knew he had to be at his best. But now that he realized he would have to deal with things like heats… evening being able to get pregnant? All of this was too much for the shifter to bare at once. 

However, when he heard his captain call to him directly, his voice firm, steady and in control, Eren glanced up and met his superior's gaze head on. 

Knowing his captain for as long as he had, he knew he could rely on him to keep the situation under control. This wasn't a request. This was a command given to him by his superior officer, and Eren knew if he didn’t want to crumble and give up as he had back when he and Historia were in that cavern with Rod Reiss, than he knew he only had one choice; follow his captain's orders. 

“Sir.” 

Levi met Eren's gaze, watching as his fear and confusion bled into one of determination and trust as the boy lifted his head. Levi’s sole duty since the beginning has been to watch over and protect Eren at all costs. This matter of dynamics only solidified that fact to be true even now as they continued making preparations for Maria, and it would most likely continue even after the fact. 

As much as Levi detested the idea of dynamics and secondary sexes, he knew there was nothing he could do about the situation beside trust Erwin's gut and any decisions of the matter along the way. Eren's safety and wellbeing were a priority, but the people they protected were to be first above all else.

“Good. I want all of you to remain close to Eren until he gets his first heat, which Hange had disclosed earlier could come at any time, now that we know the results of his blood work. If at anytime you notice something get Eren the hell away from wherever he is and take him to the basement. If I am unreachable at the time, you report directly to Hange.”

The remaining squad nodded, saluting simultaneously at their captain's orders. Mikasa had calmed significantly but still didn’t like having to submit to her fellow alpha. She knew he was someone she could trust and follow, but when it came to her family her judgment always wavered. 

Levi nodded and quietly dismissed himself, leaving the rest of his squad behind to brief Erwin of their meeting. Hange followed behind him, reminding them all to see her if they had any questions before making her own escape to return with Levi. 

The air in the room was heavy and led to the group to remain quiet for a few more seconds until Connie brought it upon himself to lighten up the mood a bit. They had all gone through so much the past year. It would be a shame if they let something like this keep them down. 

“Man, Eren, I can't believe you’re an omega. It feels like I’m finding out you’re a titan all over again.” Connie grinned, slapping Eren on the shoulder playfully. 

Eren jumped with a start, still on edge about the seriousness of his situation, but relaxed slightly when he caught sight of the jovial expression on Connie's face. 

“I don’t know, Connie.” Jean interjected, folding his arms over his chest, closing his eyes as he reminisced the day he witnessed Eren popping out of his titan that first time. “I don’t think anything involving Jaeger could compare to that day. There's nothing like coming back from the dead by emerging from the neck of a titan. I swear I wanted to vomit.” Jean shuddered dramatically, hoping to earn a reaction from Eren in an effort to join Connie to lighten the situation. 

Sasha's eyes grew comically as she made her way towards the rest of the group. “Ugh, I can imagine. Connie and I only found out when Commander Pixis screamed it from the top of his lungs. My stomach was cramping so bad I thought I was dying.” 

Connie rolled his eyes. “That's because you hadn’t eaten since before the attack, and were trying to get out of fighting. That had nothing to do with Eren turning into a titan.” 

Sasha's face turned red and she began to splutter, only to be interrupted when Eren let out a soft chuckle. It was quiet, and almost would have gone unnoticed had everyone not been silently watching him from the corner of their eye, but it was enough and it was all they needed to hear to continue.

After their superiors left the room, Mikasa and Armin returned to their spots by Eren's side and remained close, not wanting to leave their friend vulnerable. As comrades and friends, the remaining group in the room could easily see how heavily this news weighed on the shifter. All of them had been put through so much over the last year, and witnessed the turmoil Eren endured for his role as humanity's last hope. Their bond and comradery was something to be envied even amongst the strongest of squads. Squad Levi had always been known to be made up of unique and special individuals. It just so happened this group of individuals cared for each other more like a family than anything else. 

“Was food all you cared about that day, potato girl?” Jean accused, only half joking, spurred on by Eren's subtle reaction to continue. “At least that suicidal bastard didn’t try getting out of his duty by giving himself a stomach ache.”

“Who are you calling suicidal, horse face?” Eren growled halfheartedly, the spark returning to him as he continued to engage Jean. “Not sure you noticed, but I saved all your asses that day.”

Grinning victoriously, Jean continued. “You saved us? From my point of view Mikasa was the one who saved our asses. Did you see how many titans she sliced up that day? If I remember correctly, your blades couldn’t even cut half as deep as Mikasa's did in training.” 

“What was that?” Eren bickered, standing to meet Jean halfway. 

Memories of that day brought more than its share of heartbreak and gruesome nightmares, but on that day, in an effort to cheer up their friend, they prattled on as if the battle of Trost was just like any other day. Trauma and horrors bring humor to even the strangest of moments, even moments that stick with you and haunt your every movement. 

Armin and Mikasa smiled sadly at one another, knowing full well this carefree banter would be just a momentary distraction to get them up and moving and back to their duties. But it would do for now. 

After chow that evening, Levi made his way out of the mess hall and up the top of headquarters, a place he visited often in an effort to cool his head and relax. Being in the underground for so many years had left the man attached to the sky and the freedom it offered. 

He would never forget the day Isabel and Farlan had shown him how truly bright the moon was even still being within the confines of the walls. He felt too trapped those first weeks joining the Survey Corps alongside his comrades. Even the sky seemed just as dark as it had then underground.

But the way that silver light shined over them that evening, the lighthearted air that surrounded them, the hope he felt in that moment… He no longer viewed the moon in such a dismal light again. 

Crossing the final steps to the roof, Levi paused, catching sight of three familiar figures staring up at the sky and whispering quietly one another as they spoke. 

“Eren, being an omega isn’t the end of the world. You are just as much you as you've always been. Titan and all.” Armin smiled, comfortingly wrapping his arm around Eren’s shoulder to pull him into a hug. 

The trio sat with their backs to Levi, their attention elsewhere, and the captain made himself scarce, finding refuge behind a few crates stacked atop one another just a few feet away, listening silently as the three spoke. 

Eren had his head down, cradled in the arms that held his knees close to his chest. Levi knew Eren all too well, and predicted all too well how shitty he would be feeling as of now. Life had given this kid nothing but a big ‘fuck you’…. Well, same as the rest of these kids, himself included, but none of them were titans like Eren was. None of them were an omega. 

The majority of dynamic left of humanity are beta, and a lucky few alpha. He, Mikasa, Mike, and Erwin were the only alphas Levi knew of. Them and Kenny, but being that Kenny was now dead, he no longer counted. 

Omegas were even fewer, only knowing of the ones in whore houses in the underground. If there were any still left above ground, then they were lucky bastards who probably were born to well off families. Or families able to sustain themselves. 

Levi couldn’t imagine Eren as an omega in the underground, being forced to sell his body to make ends meet. 

After their meeting with the squad, he and Hange had returned to Erwin’s office to discuss the matter of Eren's dynamic further, only for Hange to excitedly reinstate the potential dangers Eren would be put in if the populous found out the truth of his dynamic. A male omega would be a rare commodity for the underworld. Levi knew far too many pigs who would trade every fortune they had for a night with a pretty viridian eyed brat with a cock in heat.

Levi growled heavily when those words escaped Hange's mouth, the alpha inside of him wanting to tear her throat out for voicing such atrocities about Eren aloud. The action had Erwin shoot a quizzical eye to Levi, amused and curious by his subordinates reaction, but had easily diffused the situation with plans to keep Eren's dynamic hidden for as long as possible.

The conversation had left the alpha on edge and Levi had hoped the evening up on the roof would calm his nerves a bit. Now, he sat behind a pile of old crates, listening, waiting, and watching Eren closely as he and his friends continued their conversation. 

“Armin's right, Eren. Just because you are omega doesn’t change anything between us. Remember how supportive you and Armin were of me when I presented as alpha? I don’t know what I would have done without you two had you not been around.” Mikasa rested her head upon Eren's shoulder, pulling her scarf up affectionately as she reminisced the night Eren had rescued her from her those human poachers, and wrapped the scarf around her neck. 

That night had been the first sign of her alpha strength and dynamic. Looking back, she herself had assumed Eren would have presented as alpha one day himself, just given by his sheer will and determination alone. When no such change occurred, she was satisfied seeing Eren as a strong beta. Now that she knew he was omega… she only felt that much more resolve to protect Eren with her life should she need to. 

Eren's eyes softened at her words, remembering just how vulnerable and frail she appeared those first days she lived with him and his parents. The hollow look in her eyes when his father told her she was special, an alpha destined for strength and survival in this world. The day he introduced her to Armin and the beta welcomed her with open arms. 

It wasn’t that Eren was afraid of being accepted. Armin and Mikasa had accepted and loved him even through the worst of times. What Eren feared most was letting the people he loved down; letting his captain and the people of the walls down. He only just recently maintained the ability to harden. Now because of this news of him being an omega, any plans for an expedition to Wall Maria would be put on hold until Eren's first heat would kick in and they would be able to determine his ability to participate should his omega dynamic intervene. 

Eren felt so vulnerable, so weak and responsible for fucking up the Corps strategies all over again. He’d gotten lucky when he chomped down on the vial with “armor” scrawled messily onto it, giving him the ability to harden as he has been ordered to do so. What if he had gone into heat during that time? What if he had gone into heat nearly anytime before then… Just the many more lives that would be lost because of him...

Just then, the words of his superior popped into his head. The very same words that were uttered to him the day the female titan had made herself known and slaughtered his comrades. No one knows the outcome of a situation, regardless of the choices made leading up to it. The idea hadn’t brought much comfort to him them, but over time Levi's words had certainly stuck to him and with each circumstance he found those words to be truer even still.

Eren glanced at Armin and Mikasa, kicking himself mentally for pouting as much as he had over the situation. It certainly didn’t change his feelings on the matter, but he wasn’t going to burden Mikasa, Armin and the others on that anymore regardless. He had to be strong for them and continue to fight on. Even if that did mean the arrival of his heat loomed around the corner. He couldn’t think about that now. He had to continue on, regardless the outcome of things.

“You guys are right.” Eren smiled, flashing his two friends the first real grin he had on his face in days. It was a welcomed sight, and Armin and Mikasa both giggled as they brought into a bear hug by Eren as he squeezed his friends as tightly to himself as he could.

The next few months were going to be rough on all of them, Eren knew this, but for now he would rely on his comrades to get through it. Just as they relied on him.

Levi watched the scene unfold before him, and wordlessly he moved from his spot to make his way back down into headquarters. 

Family, was what Levi thought of the scene between the brats. Family was what he had felt so long ago with Kenny before being abandoned by him, with Isabel and and Farlan before they were torn apart by titans. With his mother who too was an omega, and also a prostitute who struggled to keep herself and Levi alive, but that was secret for only Levi to keep and a secret would not divulge to anyone so long as he could help it.

Family was something Levi had lost over and over again. Family was precious and it was what he saw when he looked at the brats in his squad and especially so when his eyes found Eren, Mikasa, and Armin. 

After losing Farlan and Isabel, the only thing that spurred Levi forward were the trusted words of Erwin and the wings of freedom on his back that beckoned Levi to follow. Now that there was a family following his command, he would do everything in his power to keep that intact.  
If not for himself, but for the bright eyed brat carrying the problems of the world all on his shoulders, and doing so with that stupid, idiotic grin on his face.


End file.
